Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome budget 2025, which was announced yesterday by my colleagues, the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Chambers. It will make an enormous difference to people's lives, particularly to those of many families.

Turning to my own Department, budget 2025 provides very important funding in areas under my responsibility. In the area of planning, budget 2025 makes provision for the largest ever budgetary allocation to An Bord Pleanála, totalling more than €38 million. An additional €6 million has been provided to the board to support a sanctioned staffing level of more than 300 people, which has now nearly been met. This will assist in enhancing the delivery of key housing and infrastructure projects. It will also facilitate the elimination of backlogs and ensure enhanced capacity to operate to new statutory timelines as the organisations transforms to become An Coimisiún Pleanála further to the enactment of the Planning and Development Bill. We are also making €13 million available for additional planning, recruitment and training at local authority level.

This will support more than 213 additional full-time planning-related posts in local authority planning services, as well providing support for training and an enhanced planning skills pipeline underpinning the ministerial action plan on planning resources, which will be published to coincide with the finalisation of the Planning and Development Bill 2023.

I am particularly pleased to welcome the increase in funding for the private homes grants of €100 million, which is an increase of €25 million on the 2024 allocation. This increased funding underpins the implementation of the recommendations I brought forward under the review of the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with disabilities. It will, therefore, ensure the scheme will continue to be fit for purpose and deliver effectively for older people and people with a disability.

Scaling infrastructure for the future is crucially important and, as outlined, regarding the direction of travel and the pathway in this budget, we are scaling our infrastructure to meet future demands. The strategic use of the €14.1 billion Apple windfall will address known challenges in housing, energy, water and transport infrastructure. This significant financial boost will help to future-proof our economic, enterprise and industrial model, ensuring we will have opportunities for future generations.

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